Quote:
Originally Posted by Rerun
Sure, Sven would probably do better by playing on the top line but great players elevate the play of their line mates. Can we say this of Sven? ... or is it the other way around?
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Well he's a 20 year old rookie, not a prime-aged star player. Hopefully he'll get there one day but there are very few players who are able to do this right from the get-go. Sometimes you have to be put in a situation to challenge yourself. IE. I could be wrong but I don't recall Pat Kane ever playing anywhere other than in the top 6 on the Hawks. Most of the time when first rounders are brought up to play in the NHL they are slotted to play where they are expected/projected to play and if they can't they are sent down. Sven hasn't had much of a chance at that from what I've seen. (IE PP minutes, offesnive zone starts, linemates that can score/pass).
But the argument could be made (and I think this is where management's dissappointent lays) that this was the opportunity for Sven to do that. The space was there for him to show himself above the rest and be slotted into those spots. Not ahead of the other rookies but ahead of guys like Hudler and Stempniak, but he hasn't shown any reason why he should be slotted ahead of those types of guys. He's had a pretty stinky camp. Watching him play in the Dino's game was very uninspiring. If he feels its beneath him he should be he should be dominiating it out of a pure "shove it in their face" attitude. He has taken to being a bit of a whiner thus far this year. I don't like it. Hopefully he can get some mojo back and just go out and play.